


Red and Black Roses

by universeEnthusiast



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: F/M, Fantasy AU, fairynette, magic and myths and royalty politics, vampire luka
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-18
Updated: 2019-10-06
Packaged: 2020-01-15 20:28:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,778
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18506491
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/universeEnthusiast/pseuds/universeEnthusiast
Summary: Humans invade the last standing magical forest in France, upturning the lives of the magicfolk that lived there. Luka, the local noble vampire, invites the survivors into his castle, including one fairy Marinette, and they become something of an odd couple.





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so a quick warning! this chapter contains a very serious fire, and a group of men chasing a woman with intent to hurt her. if these are things that might be harmful to your mental health, make sure to click away or take a moment to prepare yourself to read if you need to.
> 
> please stay safe!

Luka yawned, and his jaw felt stiff.

He wondered when he'd last woken up.

He sat up in his coffin, rubbing at his face, and took a look around the room.

There was a thin layer of dust over everything, which meant more than a year had passed, and the wood in the fireplace was rotting, which told him he'd slept about a decade, perhaps two. 

He frowned at the window and reached out with his power to shift the curtain.

Pale yellow light burst in a thin beam across the far side of the room.

Still daylight. But, by the angle of the beam and the way his tower faced, close to sunset.

Luka sighed and went to take a bath. After that, he'd clean up the castle, and then go for a fly in a few hours.

The castle was… incredibly dusty. Much dustier than his room.

Luka frowned and wondered if he'd forgotten to actually get up before he went back to sleep last.

Figuring that he may as well start, Luka rolled his shoulders and shifted into a bat.

With a mighty flap of his wings, he sent all the dust in his room out the door, and then did the same with the unoccupied room across the hall.

All the dust in the tower went flying down the stairway.

For the first time in about a century, Luka was thankful vampires didn't need to breathe most of the time.

He shook his head and followed the dust cloud down the stairs.

Once the tower was cleared, he attacked the other towers, careful to avoid the path of the still-present sunlight and, the potentially deadlier option, his sister's room.

After the towers and the trophy room, it was the hall, the throne room, the ballroom and the kitchens. And those would all need more than dusting.

So Luka strapped some soap bars to his shoes and took a mop and set to work.

Of course, he was a little out of practice, not having done anything resembling skating - on soaps or otherwise - in a good few centuries, but it had always come easy to him and he was gliding around the ballroom floor in no time.

"Missed a spot," came a voice that would have been teasing if it weren't near-monotonous from next to his head.

Luka slipped and went sliding across the well-soaped floors, all the way to the wall.

His voice took a few moments to come back from disuse.

"Jules." he choked out, then cleared his throat and tried again. "Juleka, what the _fuck_."

"It's funny to watch you dancing around like an idiot," Juleka hovered by his prone body. "But it's funnier to watch you fall on your ass."

Luka rolled his eyes and floated up off the floor with intent to right himself.

"Now my shirt's all wet," he grumbled.

Juleka just chuckled almost ominously and disappeared into a shadow.

"Showoff." Luka landed and shook his head and went back to cleaning.

===

Luka got out of the bath, towelled off his hair and lifted a hand to check the window.

Firmly within twilight.

Time for some air.

Luka put on clean clothes and opened the doors to his balcony. The cool air surrounded him and sent a shiver down his spine.

He stepped forward and took in a deep breath. Vampires hardly needed to breathe, but it was refreshing to his lifeless lungs.

How long had it been since he'd been outside? He wasn't sure.

The stone of the balcony was cold and dry to the touch. No rain recently.

A griffonette squawked at him from the corner and he poked his tongue out at it. It clapped its beak and began to preen.

A gust of wind blew the fabric of his shirt. Luka looked up at the slowly multiplying stars.

Then he frowned.

One part of the sky was too dark.

Was it a cloud? No, it seemed to be coming up from among the trees of the forest surrounding the castle, so it had to be…

"Smoke," Luka realised.

He fell into a shock. That much smoke meant-

"Fire."

===

Marinette's heart had never beat faster.

The bases of her wings pulsed like they did when she'd been flying too long, in time with the pounding in her head.

Trees passed rapidly on each side. The footsteps behind her didn't wane, and her legs were failing from fear and from tire.

To top it all off, she hadn't been in this part of the forest in a very, very long time, and she didn't know it like she knew the rest.

Marinette curled all her arms in in a self-hug, hoping it would help somehow, but her steps began to fail and then - the worst possible thing that could have happened - she tripped.

She scrambled along the ground, not even looking back to see what ungrateful plant had betrayed her, but it wasn’t enough. She screamed into the rapidly encroaching dark in distress. 

"She's down!" yelled one of her pursuers. "Wonder what a real live fairy is worth these days?"

"I almost don’t want to sell her," another replied greedily. "I want to keep her pretty face all to myself."

Suddenly the footsteps stopped and some thuds and grunts were heard.

"What the-?!" one complained loudly.

"That," came a firm, deep voice that sent chills down Marinette's spine. "Will be quite e-fucking-nough."

"Who the fuck are you!?" another of her attackers demanded.

Marinette curled so she could see behind her, for she was not strong enough to sit up.

A figure hovered a few feet from her, standing between her and her pursuers. She couldn't see clearly for the darkness and her tired eyes, and the forest fire roared only a little ways beyond.

"Turn around." the figure ordered the humans. "And get the fuck out of my forest."

"Or what!?" one of the humans dared.

"Or I'll kill you." the figure seemed to _shrug_ , of all things.

"Yeah, right!" another human goaded.

"This is your final warning." the figure announced, sounding annoyed and exhausted. "Get out now, or I remove you myself."

"What are you gonna do?!" a man jeered, but if he had intended to follow it with some kind of joke, he didn't get time to make it.

Marinette watched in surprise and horror as the four humans that had chased her halfway through the forest were lifted off the ground, struggling. The figure between them and her moved in mid-air, making motions with his arms as if he were serving in badminton. The humans were violently launched into the sky and soared into the distance, screaming, and Marinette's head spun from even watching the speed.

The figure lowered to the ground and turned toward her, but the fire was getting closer, her energy was quickly evaporating now that the adrenaline of being hunted had subsided, and fatigue was urging her to sleep. Marinette barely registered a dark shape approaching her, surrounded by red-orange light, before her eyes failed completely.

"Sorry I couldn't get here sooner," came the figure's deep voice, but this time, he sounded gentle and soothing, and she felt a light brush of cold hands against the skin of her arms. "Let's get you away from this fire."

Marinette realised she was being lifted off the ground, and then the sensation of being entirely weightless sent her right to sleep.

===

Luka sighed as he laid the sleeping fairy on the bed of the room across the tower hall from his. He took his time, gently repositioning her four arms so that she could lie on her side and keep from squishing her delicate wings, and making sure her antennae weren't stuck under her head on the pillow.

He retreated his hands and chewed his lip.

He knew this fairy.

She had straight midnight black hair that fell all over her shoulders, and pale pink-toned skin smattered with little black freckles. Her face was round, her features very soft, but he suspected that if she opened her eyes they would be oddly blue despite their shape being very obviously of Eastern inheritance.

The design of her wings and her freckles were a dead giveaway for a ladybug's blessing, and Luka somehow remembered the miniscule detail that only two ladybug-blessed were left when he had been more friendly with the fae village.

Yes, he knew her.

But fairies were not like vampires. They did not live like vampires. They did not think like vampires.

Luka was sure she would not remember him.

Perhaps that was a good thing, he thought as he brushed a stray strand of hair behind her pointy ear. It meant she wouldn't be scared of him.

Maybe she could even like him.

It was a nice thought, but Luka reminded himself not to get his hopes up.

He knew how the world worked.

The fairy hummed, a worried look on her face even in deep slumber.

She would want food and drink, and she might need more help.

Luka decided to dash out for some supplies and come back so she wouldn't be alone when she woke.

He stood up from where he sat beside her legs and headed for the door, but found it hard to take his eyes off her, and bumped into the bedpost on his way.

===

Marinette put her top right hand to her head and sat up slowly. It was comfy, wherever she was, so she probably wasn't on the ground anymore.

An opened eye told her that the room she was in was dark, and made of stone and wood.

"H-hey," a soft voice beckoned.

Marinette gave a little gasp and turned to where she'd heard it come from.

A man, perhaps about her age, deathly pale with dark hair, waved from a big armchair by the fireplace.

She waved with one hand, unsure.

"Are you feeling alright?" he asked.

"I…" Marinette looked around at the rest of the room. "Where… where am I?"

"Castle Couffaine," the man said, standing up.

"Coffin Castle? On the north river?" she frowned, realising she was in a luxurious bed. "I haven't been anywhere near here in…"

"A few hundred years?" he smiled, sitting down by her legs.

"Y-yeah…" Marinette looked him up and down.

The man was clearly a vampire, no doubt about that. If the shade-shy-of-ghost-white skin wasn't enough, she could see his pointy ears and pearly fangs up close now. His eyes were a warm blue, his hair black as a raven's feathers, both stark in contrast to his flesh. He wore a simple white shirt and black pants. He looked… the slightest bit familiar, and it made her wonder where she might have seen him before.

"You're not hurt or anything?" he checked.

"Oh," Marinette blushed for staring. "No, I feel fine, thank you."

"Good," the vampire sighed and smiled. "Can I get you anything? Food? Water?"

"Some water would be… nice, actually," she said, pleasantly surprised.

He reached out with a hand and a tray floated towards them in the air.

"I didn't wanna leave you for too long in case something was wrong, so…" he offered her the big glass. "I came prepared. The ice only melted a little while ago, so it should still be cold."

"Th-thank you." Marinette took it with two hands and took a few sips. "Sorry, but… who are you?"

"Oh!" he smacked his forehead lightly and smiled. "Luka, I'm Luka."

"Luka." she nodded, and then squinted. "Where have I heard that name before…"

"It's popular in Italy, apparently." Luka said, possibly too quickly.

"Ah, my Nonna was Italian, she must have mentioned it once." Marinette sipped at the water again. "Luka, why… why am I here?"

Luka's expression fell to one of distress, and Marinette's heartbeat quickened.

Then the memories came to her.

Marinette dropped her glass and some unseen hand caught it, and she scrambled out of the bed and darted to the doors to the balcony she could see out the windows.

"Wait-!" Luka called.

Marinette threw open the doors and stumbled to the edge of the balcony's stone railing, gaping a little at how high it was. It was facing the north, and the forest was south.

She spun and flapped her wings once or twice and buzzed upwards to the roof of what she now knew to be a tower and looked out at the forest.

From this high up, she could see it all.

And almost all of it was burnt.

All except the chunk on the craggy hills, where the land raised far above the river, and the fire couldn't spread over the rocky ground, but that was barely a small portion. The fire had eaten three quarters of the forest.

Thousands of trees and plants and animals…

Gone.

"Hey!" Luka's voice called in distress. "H-hey, come back inside!"

Marinette didn't hear what he'd said. Her wings lowered her unwillingly. She felt weak, empty.

"Please!" Luka's voice called again.

She fell to a seat on the roof of the castle tower, and her hands rested on the thick tiles, but she couldn't summon words to describe how they felt.

" _Marinette, please close the door_!" Luka yelped.

At the sound of her name, Marinette was jolted, like she'd felt a lightning strike through an oak.

She dropped down to the balcony again.

Pinned against the fireplace, Luka stood, a look of horror and fear on his face. A sunbeam from the open doorway encroached upon him.

"OH, GOD!" Marinette squeaked and zipped inside, pulling the door closed with all four arms, making a loud bang. "I'M SO SORRY!"

"No, it's good, it's…" Luka held up a hand, voice weak. "I…"

He dropped to the floor and blinked a couple of times.

"I'm okay." he said, but he sure didn't look it. "Are you?"

Marinette's throat tightened and her eyes welled with tears.

"Aw, Marinette," Luka grunted as he stood up. "I'm… I'm so sorry."

"For what?" she sniffed, wiping her cheeks. "You didn't start that fire."

"No, I didn't," he nodded. "But I could have stopped it if I'd killed those stupid snooping humans a hundred years ago when they showed up."

"Try a thousand, Luka," Marinette laughed through the sniffles.

Luka seemed stunned by this number, which concerned her.

"A _thousand_?" he whispered.

"Uh… yeah," she bit her lip. "My… my papa was one of the first visitors… I'm a thousand years old soon."

Luka said nothing for a moment, only looked at the floor in disbelief.

And then he yelled.

"I'VE BEEN SLEEPING FOR EIGHT HUNDRED AND FIFTY YEARS?!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> interesting that marinette didn't tell luka her name, but he knew it anyway. to find out why, you'll have to keep reading ;)
> 
> this au has been developing in my head since halloween last year, so dont worry, this fic knows exactly what it's doing.
> 
> see you next time! peace


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so warnings for this chapter: multiple mentions of serious burns, a petty squabble between two fairies that results in some hair pulling, and an earnest threat of murder (you know, as was standard in medieval/feudal/fantasy times)
> 
> if any of these are dangers to your mental state, take a moment to prepare or click away if you need, bc i want u to be safe

"So…" Marinette sipped her water as they sat on the edge of the bed again. "What do we do now?"

They had both been thinking in the quiet for a while, sorting out their emotions and coming to terms with their current situations.

"I can't leave till the sun goes down." Luka shook his head. "But I wanna round up all the survivors and bring them here."

"Wh… why?" she asked.

"This castle can hold 200 people, easy," he stood up, frowning and chewing his tongue. "I don't know how many people were in your village-"

"Kingdom," Marinette whispered.

He gave her an apologetic look, then took a breath.

"Look, they'll fit," Luka swallowed. "And I can feed them and… they'll be safe and have a roof over their heads, and that's what's important."

"But why?" she stood up to get near him.

"Cause this forest was my responsibility." he turned away, almost growling. "And I didn't protect it. I have to atone."

"Maybe so," Marinette reached for his arm with one of hers. "But I don't know what my people will do. Some might go to other kingdoms. Some… some might not want to come here."

"Why not?" Luka asked.

"Some of them are too young to remember that vampires are our friends." she chewed her lip. "And the forest was their home. They won't think of Coffin Castle as anything but a spooky ruin in the distance."

"This castle is in perfect shape." he frowned.

"The magic barrier at your border, remember?" Marinette questioned. "Gives the illusion of a ruin? No-one's been close enough to tell for hundreds of years, Luka."

"Right, right." Luka rubbed his forehead. "Sorry, I've been asleep for… a very long time."

"Yeah," she sighed.

"But I'm awake now, and that's what matters." he scowled in determination. "And I'm gonna bring the residents of the forest into this castle."

"Are you sure?" Marinette swallowed. "That's gonna be hard."

"Yes." Luka nodded. "It's not the easy thing, but it is the right thing."

"What if the humans come?" she whispered in fear.

"We've got the magical barrier." he promised. "And I have the deed, so they can't do anything to the grounds."

"But…" Marinette still didn't look convinced.

"And, hey," Luka smiled at her. "Jules and I have taken down plenty of angry mobs over the years, and this castle is our home. We'll protect it with our lives."

"… _Are_ you alive?" she pondered.

"I mean, I have a heartbeat sometimes?" he considered. "And, I know my family can have children, so…"

Marinette made a thoughtful hum, and then shook her head.

"Wait, who's 'Jewels'?" she frowned.

"Juleka, my sister," Luka answered. "She comes out even less than I do, though, so, I have no clue how long it'll be till you meet her."

She nodded and then gave a little huff.

"Alright," Marinette swallowed. "I'm gonna go talk to the survivors."

Luka's eyes widened.

"Are you sure?" he reached for her shoulder in concern. "It could be dangerous in the daylight, even for you."

"I know this forest." she nodded. "Or… what's left of it. I'll be safe."

"I can't stop you," Luka sighed. "But I can't help you till the sun goes down, either."

"I know." Marinette smiled. "But I don't think I'll need your help this time, Luka."

He nodded acceptingly.

"Let's get you out there."

===

"Alright," Luka murmured, peering around in the room and reaching for the handle of the heavy wooden door. "This door opens on a path that leads to the well. Turn right there, go around the corner of the castle and you'll be at the gardens. The gardens have a hidden bridge where you cross the river to the part of the forest that's on our land. You can get to the rest of the forest from there."

Marinette stepped into position to dash outside.

Luka pulled it open, and a bright beam of sunlight burst in, but he hid in the shadow of the door.

Marinette looked out for potential dangers and moved to leave.

"Wait-" without thinking, Luka reached for her wrist, and as soon as he touched the sunlight, it scorched the skin of his fingertips.

He hissed in pain and snatched the hand away, his eyes welling up with tears.

Marinette gasped and closed the door, reaching in worry for his hand.

"I'm sorry," she took it in hers, and looked to his face.

"It's okay," Luka shook his head, swallowing the tears. "My fault. I wasn't thinking."

"Will it heal?" Marinette asked, inspecting the nasty burn.

"I… don't know." he admitted weakly. "We can heal from most things, but I've never had to heal from sunlight."

Marinette looked at him with her sky blue eyes and bit her rose-pink lip.

She held his hand up and kissed the burnt fingers ever-so-lightly.

Luka was shocked by the gesture alone, but then a pink light glowed from the burn, and the pain disappeared, followed by the mark.

He blinked at her as she let go of his hand.

"Fairies can put life back into living things." Marinette blushed, a pretty pink hue flooding the pale spaces between the freckles on her cheeks. "More often we use it to heal."

"Th-th-thank you, Marinette…" Luka stuttered out in awe.

She gave him a warm smile, and took a deep breath and turned for the door again.

"Please be careful," Luka blurted, the reason he'd wanted her to wait in the first place hitting him again.

She looked stunned by this, and looked him up and down in curious surprise.

"I just…" he blushed blue under her gaze. "Don't want you to get hurt."

"I'll be alright," Marinette told him quietly, giving a reassuring smile. "And I'll be back before you know it."

Luka just nodded.

And she slipped out into the daylight, where he couldn't follow.

===

Luka spent quite a bit of time worrying. He chewed on things, even things he didn't intend to chew on, and after almost destroying a family heirloom with his anxious fangs, he decided he needed to do something better.

He played his violin, which was in dire need of tuning and practice, for a few hours, which bolstered his energy a little.

A little reading, a little carving, and soon the day was over.

But Marinette wasn't back yet.

Luka rolled up his sleeves and waited on edge for the sun to slip below the horizon enough to not immediately set him on fire.

And then, from the hall, the creaking of the massive castle door made his ear flicker toward it.

He burst out of his room and flew faster than he'd ever flown in his life down to it, colliding with two corners and a low ceiling on the way.

There was a little crowd grouped up in the entry hall, trickling in from the door, which Marinette was holding open.

Luka made sure to avoid the last licks of sunlight making shapes on the floor through the opened curtains, and floated towards her.

One last straggler hurried in and Marinette pushed it closed with all four arms.

"Marinette!" Luka called, practically elated that she was safe, and landed right next to her. "How did it go? Are you okay?"

"I-I'm fine, Luka," Marinette giggled at his frantic questions and smirked with a gentle pride. "And, well… I think it went okay."

She put a pair of hands on her hips and crossed her second pair, and nodded in the direction of the huddle.

Luka waved hesitantly at them.

The group turned on him, and their big fairy eyes scrutinized him harshly. He lowered his hand.

"Vampire." someone murmured, and the whole cluster broke into mumbles and whispers.

"Guys," Marinette cleared her throat, speaking pointedly. "This is Luka. He's welcomed us to stay in the castle."

"I thought all the vampires were dead," a fae boy with black hair and green eyes came forth and cocked his head at Luka. 

"Well-" Luka initially prepared to explain the complexities of undeath, but realised that the boy probably meant the questionable status of the vampire population, which Luka was really going to have to find out, but neither topic got addressed before he was interrupted.

"Dead or undead, you expect me to live in a filthy old castle infested with blood-suckers?" a blonde fairy with bright blue eyes, and the clear marks of the bee-blessed, snapped from the back.

"I cleaned it yesterday…" Luka protested weakly, holding his arm in shyness.

"It looks fine, Luka," Marinette gave him a warm smile. "Chloe is just very picky."

"Sabrina will get sick in all this dust!" Chloe scoffed. "She doesn't quite have the magical constitution of a full-blooded fairy, you know."

"Chloe." a short pink-haired fairy wearing green groaned. "Sabrina and Nathanael will be fine."

The blonde began a retort, and, slightly nervous, Luka gave Marinette a confused look.

"Fairy-human hybrids don’t always end up fae," Marinette whispered to him as Chloe and the pink-haired fairy argued. "Fairies take after their mothers, so if their mother was human, they end up mortal."

"Ohhh," Luka nodded. "Vampires are the same. We take after our fathers, every time. Lot of half-vamps had human mas."

An angry yelp startled them into turning their attention back to the guests

"You're not royalty anymore, you black-and-yellow pollen sniffer!" the small pink-haired fairy yelled, pulling Chloe's hair.

"At least I have a better sense of style than _you_ , you underfed troll doll!" Chloe shrieked.

The other members of the group only looked disappointed and ashamed.

Suddenly the entire room went cold and turned a warm purple from the dying light of the sunset outside.

" **Enough**." came a chilling monotonous voice.

Luka tensed up.

Every fairy in the room froze.

"Luka?" Marinette scooted closer to his side in fear.

"Marinette," Luka grimaced and turned his head to the top of the staircase to the hall and the towers. "Meet Juleka."

At the top of the staircase was a woman, shrouded in the shadow of the unlit walls. Her eyes glowed, pinpricks of purple light in the darkness.

She descended the stairs, walking like a queen, and in the low light of the windows, they bore witness to her haunting beauty. Her hair, long and raven as her brother's, trailed behind and around her like a cloak. Her black dress was covering, and at the cuffs of the huge sleeves and around the edge of the skirt, shapes of purple fabric had been sewn into the hem like licks of ghostly fire. Her face and some of her neckline was all of her pale skin that could be seen.

" **Listen** ," Juleka approached the gaggle of fairies. " **If you stay here, we will protect you from the humans.** "

Luka swallowed.

" **But if you want to stay here,** " she said with an authority that couldn't be faked. " **You must. Be. _Quiet_**."

Chloe and the pink-haired fairy detached from one another and stood several feet apart.

Juleka looked over the guests.

"Luka will show you where you can and cannot go." she told them. "Disturb me again, and I will drain every drop of blood from your bodies."

A collective gulp of fear was made by the group.

Luka gave Marinette what he hoped was an apologetic look.

"Wow, a real princess!" squeaked a voice, and everyone in the room was caught off guard for one reason or another.

Juleka stepped forth, and every fairy in the group stepped back but one.

A tiny bright-eyed fairy with flowers woven into her short blonde hair, wearing a bright pink dress.

"What's your name?" she asked, as though Juleka hadn't just threatened to murder her.

Juleka blinked, and then replied.

"I know better than to give my true name to a fairy," she said.

The little fairy laughed.

Juleka's pale cheeks went purple.

Luka's mouth dropped open in a slight gape. Marinette looked between all three of them in curious awe.

"My name is Rose." the little fairy beamed. "And I think you're very pretty!"

Juleka only looked Rose up and down, then held out her hand, and Rose grabbed it enthusiastically.

And the two of them disappeared into thin air.

No-one spoke for a good minute.

"L…Luka…" Marinette looked up at him. "Do you know what just happened?"

"Juleka… took Rose… back to her room." Luka frowned, exactly the same amount of confused. "She shadow-teleported them."

"Oh," Marinette said, because that was all she had to say in response to that.

"They'll be… they'll be fine." Luka blinked at nothing, still frowning. "Juleka will probably… Rose will be fine."

"If you're sure..." Marinette swallowed.

Luka nodded, took a deep breath, turned his attention to the baffled guests, and sighed.

"I suck at public speaking..." he muttered in regret.

"I'll help." Marinette told him with a bright smile.

He gave her a surprised look.

"C'mon," she nodded in the direction of the group. "Let's get these guys sorted and turn in. It's been a rough day."

She headed towards them.

Luka followed, an eager smile growing on his face that he wasn't aware he was wearing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> still no direct answer as to how luka knew mari's name... but there was a clue or two here that you may have picked up on :3c
> 
> to be absolutely clear, since im not sure when i plan to adress it again, juleka essentially spirited rose away to be her lover like ten seconds after meeting her like the disaster lesbian she is.
> 
> and yes, i do plan on most of the school-aged cast showing up in some form or another but you will have to wait and see :)
> 
> dont forget to leave comments and questions to let me know you're out there, and see you next time!!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> warnings for this chapter: a reference to the fire from the first chapter, burnt homes, implied deaths, and mentions of poisons and curses
> 
> be safe and enjoy

"And that's the last of them." Luka nodded, putting the very heavy key loop in his pocket. "Thank you for your help, Marinette."

Marinette yawned beside him, as if to comically display how late it was.

He chuckled.

She looked back to the row of guest rooms and hummed.

"You can take the room you woke up in, if you like." Luka offered. "It's across the hall from mine, so you can come ask me if you need anything."

"Are you sure?" Marinette rubbed an eye. "I don't want to be a bother."

"I'm sure." he smiled, and nodded in the general direction of his tower. "C'mon."

She followed him, and they made it most of the way, until she tripped on a stray stone in the floor.

A little yelp and a thud make Luka turn in place.

"Are you alright?" he held out his hand, but she didn't react, as though she couldn't see it.

"Yeah, I'm… sorry, it's just very dark," Marinette told him. "I can't really see where I'm going very well."

It struck him that fae didn't have night vision.

"Well, let me fix _that_ right away," Luka flicked his wrist and lit the nearest torch with a blue flame.

Marinette gasped at it, and then, after letting her eyes adjust, took his offered hand.

"Sorry I didn't do that sooner," he shook his head. "I forgot fairies can't see in the dark."

"Aw, that's okay, I can see way better now." she assured, and, after a few steps, yawned again.

Luka raised his hand again, and the blue fire lit every torch along the length of the hall.

"Let's get you to bed." he gave her a smile, and together they walked.

===

"How did you get into living in a castle, anyway?" Marinette asked as they headed up the stairs.

Luka baulked, but tried not to let his anxieties show.

"Family." he said, half-lying. "I think Jules and I are descended from a count or something."

"Oh, very fancy." Marinette giggled. "Is it just you two?"

"Yeah," Luka sighed as they passed a window. "Ma died a couple centuries ago."

"Oh, no," his companion reached for his arm. "I'm sorry…"

"Well, she got her revenge," he smiled at her. "The idiots who gave her garlic have to spend eternity serving the surviving family unpoisoned food."

"Oh, dear," Marinette put one hand to her mouth in amused sympathy.

"Don't worry," Luka promised. "We do our best to be good to them."

She nodded.

They reached the top of the stairs, and the doorways they led to.

"Come get me if you need anything, okay?" Luka approached his room. "Anything at all."

"Thank you, Luka," Marinette smiled, and paused outside the door to what was now her room. "Wait, I do have one question."

"Yeah?" he replied brightly, eager to please.

"How…" she blushed a little. "How did you know my name?"

Luka froze instantly, then went blue in the cheeks.

"I know I didn't tell you," Marinette looked away, nervous. "So… please tell me how you knew it."

He swallowed.

"Your… your dress." he stuttered out, looking away. "Your name is sewn into the hem in the back."

Marinette hadn't been expecting that answer.

"When I was moving you to the bed, I noticed it." he scratched the back of his neck nervously. "I didn't want to say it, in case you thought I'd found it, uh… under less savoury circumstances. I wasn't even sure it was _your_ name, but..."

She blinked and played with a strand of hair.

"But you rushed out and left the door open and I panicked." Luka admitted. "I'm sorry."

"No, it's alright," Marinette assured. "I understand. I'm… sorry for almost killing you."

"It's fine." he chuckled.

"Speaking of names," Marinette smiled and turned to the door again. "You… you gave me your real one, didn't you."

"Yeah," Luka sighed and made a bitter smile from his doorway. "Rookie mistake, I know, but…"

She turned the handle and heard the creak of the old hinges, and looked back in case she had missed what he'd said.

"I trust you." he said once her eyes were on him, voice gentle.

This made her blush.

"And, honestly," Luka added weakly, speaking more to his dark room and himself than her. "I don't think I'd mind being under your spell."

This made her blush worse.

"Goodnight, Marinette." he smiled, and slowly closed the door.

"Goodnight, Luka." she whispered.

===

Marinette woke and, for the first time, took a proper wander around the room.

 _Her_ room.

It looked like a pretty standard solar.

There was a fancy desk under the windows, beside the door to the balcony. On it was a slew of abandoned embroidery and cross-stitch and darning projects, and a box of sewing supplies and knitting needles. A spinning wheel stood in the corner next to it, slightly dusty but probably functional, with a few balls of yarn littered around it.

An ornate wardrobe, a fireplace with two plush chairs, and a nice rug.

This room was all dark and heavy and closed in. It wasn’t anything like her chambers back home, bright and airy and open.

Home…

It had been destroyed. It was smoking ruins when she scavenged around it yesterday.

And the energies…

Marinette shuddered and paused to lean on the chair and put a hand to her stomach. She felt hollow and queasy all at the same time.

Her mother's words whispered softly in her ear; that their kingdom was a people, not a place, and the sleeping fairies downstairs were safe and that was what mattered.

And that eased her, until tears pricked at her eyes, because her mother wasn't among them.

She knew she had to be strong, so she took a deep breath, but the air in the room felt stuffy.

So Marinette wiped her eyes and stepped out onto the balcony.

At first it looked like it started by the wall of the staircase and curled around the whole tower, but peeking around the opposite wall showed that her balcony and the balcony she guessed was Luka's were separated by a small gap.

It was a spacious balcony, and there was a birdbath nestled in the corner near the wall, with a few griffonettes playing in the water.

"Hello, friends," Marinette whispered to them.

A pigeon-tabby cooed and flapped toward her and she giggled and moved her hair out of its way as it crawled across her shoulders.

"I'm sorry, I don't have any seeds," she pet the grey creature gently. "But I'll be sure to get some for next time."

Her own stomach grumbled, and she bit her lip.

The griffonette hopped off her shoulders and squawked at its companions.

Marinette went back inside her room and towards the door, but hesitated.

It was mid-morning, at least, if not midday. What if Luka had gone to sleep?

Her stomach grumbled a little louder.

She hadn't eaten in the last two days. It was probably time to eat something.

A knock came at her door.

She almost jumped out of her skin.

"Marinette?" the door creaked open. "Are you okay?"

"Oh, Luka," she put all her hands on her chest. "You startled me!"

"Sorry, I heard growling," Luka poked his head in. "Thought maybe one of the griffonettes was giving you trouble."

"Oh, no, no," Marinette waved dismissively. "They're lovely. Their flock nest here?"

"Mhm, they took over the pigeon tower." her neighbour replied. "Except the black one, I think he's made a nest on my balcony."

She giggled and he smiled.

"So, if it wasn't a griffonette," Luka frowned. "What was growling?"

Marinette's tummy sounded its displeasure with being empty again, and she went red.

There was a short pause, and he tried to stifle a smile, and she lost the courage to look him in the eye.

"Say, Marinette," her companion said. "I should probably, uh, notify the kitchen staff that they've got guests to feed so they can start preparing meals."

She nodded, still looking away, ashamed and hoping he would just leave so she would wither and die.

"Only, you know," Luka continued. "I don't know what fairies eat, so… mind coming to help me set up a menu?"

Marinette blinked at him and considered.

Her stomach grumbled one more time, and she sighed, defeated, and nodded.

Luka gave her a smile and opened the door for her, and she ducked out, still red, to plod down the stairs with him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> question: do you believe that that's how he knew her name?
> 
> also yes, the vampire ancestor being a count is a sesame street joke. i miss sesame street ok. please dont sue me


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> only light warnings for this chapter this time around: mentions of food intolerance and lethal allergies, some stumbling around in dark places, ghosts, and a minorly sleazy guy
> 
> if any of these things could hurt or upset you, make sure to take a moment or click away if you need. i want you to be safe!

"So, what _do_ fairies eat?" Luka asked on their way down the stairs.

"We're omnivorous," Marinette replied. "Lots of macoms expect us to be all hippy, vegetarian types because we're the guardians of the forests, but the reality is that the food chain is an important part of Mother's world and we're part of that food chain."

"Anything you don't eat?" he asked as they rounded the corner to the hallways.

"We're not great with dairy?" she thought aloud. "Milk is a human thing, and we don’t work with milking animals anyway."

"Not great with dairy?" Luka teased. "A French countrygirl like you?"

"I'm a _fairy_ , Luka," Marinette countered playfully. "My Papa may have been French, but my Mama was from the East. I have the Eastern constitution, and my stomach just does not agree."

They chuckled together.

"You're right though, I haven't been able to eat cheese in centuries." she sighed. "I wish I remembered the taste."

"Can it be a sometimes food?" he pondered.

"Sure, if I'm willing to take a day off recovering." she giggled.

"Oh dear," he offered, pausing to check that the curtains were down in the next section of hallway.

"What about vampires? Do you eat normal food or you only, uh…" Marinette turned back to him and raised her hands up, poked her tongue out, and mimed clawing at something, adding a little 'bleh' noise.

Luka's head dipped in weak laughter and he looked back to her with a fanged grin.

"We can eat human food, it just doesn't give us any sustenance." he chuckled. "And, you know, garlic is toxic, etcetera, etcetera."

"Right, right," she nodded.

"I mostly eat for taste and to give my mouth something to do." Luka shrugged as they continued down the hallway.

They arrived at a doorway and went through it to an unlit set of stairs.

They headed down, and it didn't take long for Marinette to stumble with a yelp.

"Sorry." Luka caught her by the lower arms, helped her right herself, and stuck a hand out and up to light the way with his blue fire. "Here."

"Thank you…" Marinette mumbled and ducked around behind him as they plodded down towards the dark, one hand holding the back of his shirt. "You said the kitchen staff were ghosts?"

"Mhm," Luka hummed in front of her. "They were humans first, obviously, but their curse is basically eternal, so their souls remained after their bodies died."

"Right, right." she said again. "Will they ever rest?"

"Whenever there isn't a family in the castle to serve, I suppose." he shrugged. "Not even sure it has to be mine. If any of your friends have kids, they might count too."

"That's a long time to be alive," Marinette commented. "And that's coming from a fairy."

"You and yours live as long as your forest, no?" Luka smiled over his shoulder at her. "Down to the last tree?"

"Yes," she gave him a quizzical look. "How do you know that?"

"Part of your forest is on the castle's land." he told her. "You guys are my neighbors, and you were my friends a long time ago. If I didn't know this stuff, I'd be a pretty shitty-"

Luka fell down the last stair and landed on his face.

Marinette barked a little laugh and trod carefully down to help him up.

"Are you okay?" she asked as he steadied himself and brushed some dust off.

"Pfft, I'm fine." he chuckled, and after a moment of silence, his expression fell to one of distaste. "Shut up, Jacques."

Marinette briefly wondered if he'd hit his head.

"I know you can't hear him, Marinette, hold on a moment." Luka flicked his wrist and the kitchen chandelier lit up.

It was spacious, if archaic - which made sense; the castle hadn't exactly been keeping up with the progression of time - and there were pots, pans, and utensils floating around.

Yes. Floating.

"Marinette." Luka put his hand on her shoulder and moved close, looking at her intently but somehow still kindly. "Do you want to be able to see and hear the ghosts?"

She nodded. She did live here now, and she _was_ here to tell them about food they would be making for her and her friends, so it would be pretty nonsensical for her not to be able to see and hear them.

"Alright," her vampire companion gave an emphatic nod. "So, for that, I have to lift the mortal veil from your spirit."

Her face must have betrayed her confusion and concern.

"Don't worry," Luka gave her a promising smile. "It just means you'll be able to see ghosts and some other undead things that would usually be invisible to the living."

"Alright," Marinette nodded, looking him up and down. "How do you do it?"

"I say a few words and shift the magic covering your eyes and ears," he shrugged. "Nothing dangerous. But the magic is bright, so you should close your eyes."

"Okay." she closed her eyes tight.

Luka gave a little half-laugh of a hum, and she heard the fabric of his shirt shuffle as his arms moved.

"My fingers might touch your face, but don't open your eyes yet." he told her.

A reddish-pink light appeared beyond her eyelids, and she squeezed her eyes tighter.

And she couldn't see it, but Luka was trying to stifle a smile at her pout.

" _By will and word of the king of night, I relieve thee of thine mortal sight_." his voice, deep and soft, echoed just a little bit in the room, as he reached out to the pink glow of the spirit veil over her face with magic-laced fingers, and drew apart the aura like a curtain, his fingertips brushing gently over her eyelids and temples.

The light touch made her take a lighter gasp.

He tucked the spirit-veil behind her flushed-pink pointy ears and carefully withdrew his hands.

"You can open your eyes now." Luka said slowly so as not to startle her.

"Did it work?" Marinette asked, peeking one eye open.

"Should have." he nodded and turned to gesture at the kitchen. "Do you see them?"

She opened her other eye, looked around, and squeaked.

No less than ten ghosts floated there, tossing pans and cutlery about like juggling clowns.

She blinked at them, and waved, and they all paused in their messing about with the kitchen utensils and got closer.

"Marinette, this is the kitchen staff." Luka gestured. "You tell them what you need and they'll provide it."

"O, yes," came a chilling voice behind them, and Marinette squeaked again. "Anything you need, petal, you jus let us know."

Marinette turned to find the ghost of a ginning, skinny-looking man with a terrible scraggly beard and she immediately scooted a little closer to her (un)living companion.

"Jacques, if you touch her, I will curse you again." Luka warned, and turned back to the rest of the staff. "Alright everybody, we've got some guests in the castle, and Marinette's here to tell you what you'll need to feed them."

" _Bellissimo_." one of the ghosts floated toward her. "Come, miss, tell us everything."

Marinette nodded and followed the chef ghosts over to a counter to discuss foods.

"You sure you don’t wanna join 'em over there?" Jacques asked Luka on the sly. "You feel pre''y hungry, master."

Luka just frowned in confusion.

"Alrigh', alrigh', if ya gonna play it like that, I'll jus go back to washin' dishes." the offending spirit raised his hands in defense and floated away. "Jus make sure you get summit in ya system soon, master, or ye'll be as dead as me before ya know it."

Luka considered that for a moment, wondering what on The Mother's Great Green Earth Jacques could have been on about, and just shook his head.

Marinette seemed to have finished giving the ghost staff all her information, and she came back to him.

"All sorted," she smiled.

"Good." Luka smiled back, and gestured to the staircase. "Shall we?"

"We shall." Marinette curtseyed for fun.

And together they headed back up the staircase.

"Did you like the staff?" Luka asked her as they tramped up the stone steps.

"Yes, they seem like lovely ghost… people," she smiled, unsure of the terminology. "And very friendly. I half expected them to start singing ' _Be Our Guest_.'"

She chuckled, but if she was referring to something, Luka didn't know what.

"What's _Be Our Guest_?" he asked.

Marinette stopped in place at the doorway to the hall and blinked back at him.

"Oh, Luka," she took a deep breath. "You've missed so much."

"Has worldwide culture progressed again?" he guessed with a grimace.

"It _exploded _in the last two hundred years," Marinette informed, looking concerned. "I… couldn’t catch you up on everything even if I wanted to."__

__"That tends to be the case sometimes." Luka shook his head. "I'll have to send a raven to my informant."_ _

__"Informant?" she gave him a baffled look. "A _raven_?"_ _

__"How else does one send messages over long distances?"_ _

__Marinette, wide eyed, opened her mouth, perhaps to inform him of some kind of alternative, but closed it again, and stepped out into the hall._ _

__"I hope Fu is still in France." Luka tisked and followed. "Ah, well, Thundercloud should be able to find him anyway."_ _

__"Fu?" his companion asked as they strolled back toward their tower._ _

__"An immortal." he replied. "He's been around a long time, keeping the maco informed of the outside world. I hope nothing has happened to him since we last met."_ _

__"Wait, Wang Fu?" Marinette asked suddenly. "I know him!"_ _

__"You do?" Luka paused in his tracks._ _

__"Yes, he visited the kingdom all the time!" she nodded. "He took on an apprentice a couple of decades ago!"_ _

__"He'd always talked about doing that." he had to smile. "Do you know if he's well?"_ _

__"The last time we got a message, he was doing just fine." Marinette answered brightly._ _

__"Good." Luka nodded a nod of relief and they began to walk again. "I will write him a letter posthaste."_ _

__"Marinette!" someone called from down the hall._ _

__The companions stopped and turned again._ _

__"Where have you been?" a short, blonde, fluffy-haired fairy buzzed up to them._ _

__"Telling the kitchen staff what to feed everybody." Marinette shrugged with all four shoulders. "Is something wrong?"_ _

__The fairy landed, and his large dragonfly-blessed wings twitched as they came to rest, and he looked Luka up and down with the most subtle of frowns. "Yeah, none of us can find the bathrooms."_ _

__"There are baths in the larger rooms, and one down in the servant's quarters." Luka offered._ _

__"No, the _toilets_ , you crusty old-" the short fairy snipped, but he was cut off._ _

__" _Pondsquatter_!" Marinette scolded. "Don't be mean to our host!"_ _

__"Pondsquatter?" Luka gave a look of confusion._ _

__"Not his _real_ name," she gave him a look._ _

__"Ah." he blushed a bit blue for embarrassment. "Well, I'm sorry, Mnsr. Pondsquatter, but I dont know what a toilet is."_ _

__The blond fairy looked him up and down again, this time in disbelief, and turned back to Marinette and took one of her hands in two of his._ _

__"Please excuse us a moment," she gave Luka an apologetic look and toddled a few feet away._ _

__For a non-vampire, the distance, stone walls and lowered voices would be enough to have a private conversation, but with his sharp nocturnal-hunter ears, Luka couldn't help eavesdropping if he wanted to._ _

__He tried to make himself look casual anyway to appear as polite as possible._ _

__" _Buttercup_ ," Pondsquatter hissed. " _This_ is the macom you're trusting with the care of our people?"_ _

__" _Dandelion_ ," Marinette hissed back. "He's more than capable. And you _know_ how outdated this castle is, we were there when it was _built_ , don't blame him for _that_."_ _

__"We need bathrooms, Buttercup," the fairy man sighed._ _

__Marinette bit her hip, and put a hand to her chin in thought._ _

__"Tree travel to the public ones on the reserve, for now." she told him. "And I think there are bedpans under the beds, use those for emergencies. It's icky, but we'll get by. I'll… _talk_ to our host about getting renovations to the castle once he's caught up with the state of the outside world."_ _

__"You know his name?" Pondsquatter asked, even quieter._ _

__"I'm not going to _spellbind_ him, Dandelion," Marinette smacked her companions arm gently in scolding. "I'm going to _gently_ suggest he update his facilities to accommodate his guests, like a _polite **lady** _."___ _

____"I would have just spellbound him." the other fairy grumbled, but then he changed tone, reaching out with all four arms to hold her by the shoulders. "Also, where are you sleeping? Have you eaten?"_ _ _ _

____That action, and those questions, struck Luka as markedly caring. Was this 'Dandelion' her lover?_ _ _ _

____"Don’t worry, Dandelion. I'm being taken care of." she smiled gently at him. "Go tell the others what's happening, and we'll meet to talk about where to go from here once everyone's recovered a bit more."_ _ _ _

____The fairy called Pondsquatter, and also, apparently, Dandelion - which Luka liked much better; it suited him and his fluffy white-blond hair - sighed again and nodded._ _ _ _

____"Thank you, Dandelion," Marinette held all of her companions hands. "I can't thank you enough for what you do for me."_ _ _ _

____"You don't need to." Pondsquatter _bowed_ to her._ _ _ _

_____Now, that was odd_ , thought Luka._ _ _ _

____"Go now," she said softly, and kissed her companion's forehead._ _ _ _

_____Ah… very likely lovers, then_ … he decided, and felt a little pang of disappointment, and then confusion._ _ _ _

____If they were lovers, why had they not sought each other out until now? Why would Marinette not choose to stay in the room with her lover, instead of in the tower with Luka?_ _ _ _

____And what was the bowing about? Unless the ancient fairy culture had somehow changed drastically in the last five centuries since he went into long-term hibernation, the only people fairies really bowed to were-_ _ _ _

____"Bye, winterskin." the dragonfly-winged fairy barked at him, and leapt up to buzz away down the hall again._ _ _ _

____" _PONDSQUATTER_!" Marinette called after the retreated fairy in exasperation._ _ _ _

____"Ouch," Luka mumbled._ _ _ _

____"I'm sorry, he's…" she sighed and walked back towards him. "Not the happiest of campers, even on good days."_ _ _ _

____"No harm done," the vampire shook his head. "I should go write that letter."_ _ _ _

____They began on their way back to the tower._ _ _ _

____"Say, Luka," Marinette beckoned. "Would you mind if I did some rearranging in the room you gave me?"_ _ _ _

____"Oh, not at all," he replied. "Whatever you need to do to make it feel like home, please, you're more than welcome to do."_ _ _ _

____"Thank you," she smiled._ _ _ _

____"On the subject of arranging things," Luka mused. "You handled your fairy friend's problem very well."_ _ _ _

____"I'm just used to helping people," Marinette shrugged._ _ _ _

____"But you're _good_ at it." he turned to her. "And I can't say the same about myself."_ _ _ _

____"You've helped _me_ just fine…?" she raised an eyebrow as they reached the staircase back up to the tower._ _ _ _

____"Well…" Luka went a bit blue. "Helping one is easy enough, but it looks like you're good at helping many."_ _ _ _

____"I do what I can," Marinette shrugged again. "Why?"_ _ _ _

____"Well, I figure," he tried to shrug, tried to look casual. "If we're going to have everybody staying like this is some kind of inn…"_ _ _ _

____"We call them hotels now," she giggled. "But, go on?"_ _ _ _

____"I know the castle, and how to keep it up and running," Luka told her as they reached the top of the staircase. "And you know these fairies, and how to take care of them."_ _ _ _

____"Right…?" Marinette gave him a questioning look._ _ _ _

____"If I am to be the host," he propositioned. "Would you be my right hand?"_ _ _ _

____"Like a manager?" she giggled._ _ _ _

____"Is that akin to an innkeeper?" Luka wondered._ _ _ _

____"Yes, Luka." Marinette nodded. "And you know what? I think that idea sounds just fine."_ _ _ _

____He beamed. "Now, let us attend our businesses before lunch."_ _ _ _

____"Yes, let's." she nodded, and headed for the door of her room._ _ _ _

____Luka disappeared into his, likely to write that letter and send that raven, and Marinette closed her door._ _ _ _

____She took another glance around and put her hands on her hips, and took a breath, and spoke to herself;_ _ _ _

____"Let's do a bit of redecorating, shall we?"_ _ _ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> its haloweeen month which means its the first anniversary of the concept for red and balck roses ! happy birthday vamp luka and fairynette lol
> 
> 'dandelion' is an original character but he only plays a minor role, and dont worry - we still see all our favourites from the show eventually :3
> 
> also i dont know if youve noticed all the weird little strange new words like "maco" and "winterskin" but i have been throwing some actual like, thought out lore about the world these magical creatures and people live in into this fic
> 
> \- maco is short for 'magical community' and macom 'magical community member'. takes the place of '(the) people' and '(a) person' 
> 
> \- 'winterskin' is an insult like "stone cold heart", but also kind of a race thing because luka is undead. 'dandelion' is implying luka is lifeless/without thought and emotion, or perhaps even purely malicious, just for being a vampire.
> 
> anyway hope yall are having fun :3 see you next time !!


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